Review For 12 Years A Slave
I had been looking forward to seeing this movie since early September when I went to see The Butler. It looked like a movie which had great depth and artistry- or see the trailer seemed. So I knew that I had to see it!! I had to. I finally made this a reality in January and I can say after seeing it, that this much truly lives up the high quality it exudes in it’s suomptuous trailer.
I will add that this film, isn’t the first time I have been introduced to this story. In fact I first heard of this story 9 years ago ( I am a 5th year senior) during my freshman year of high school. We even saw this other movie which portrayed the story. However, I don’t think that particular film did all that great- nobody I know has really seen it. Heck, I didn’t think it was all that great! What I did learn this time after seeing this film was that the film is an autobiographical one. I had no idea ( and it seems neither did my high school teacher) before that Solomon Northup was a real man!
But this real man lead a life which seemed solid by most standards. He was happily marrried, with three children of his own. He seemed to have a solid income as a commercial Fiddler perfoming at glittering galas and also as a carpenter. In my opinion, the middle class stability that Northup is of, is reflected in the set design of his children’s bedroom. In fact, during the scene where he puts his children to bed you can see that the room was sooo nicely painted, had good furniture, and was decorated in a very homely and warm way. The symmetry of that room seemed very solid, and seemed to ooze stability. Honestly, it reminded me of so many children’s room in middle class homes represented in television, as well as actual middle class life.
One weekend when his family was gone on a trip, he is approached by two men to play his fiddle with a travelling circus. When they invite him to dinner, they drug Solomon. You can tell that something is wrong, because Solomon can barely walk up the stairs, and seems way more feeble than someone who is just drunk.
The next scene is horrible for any human being with an ounce of humanity to observe. I should add that It is hard for me to imagine any human being living having being enslaved. And I cannot even allow myself to imagine myself in that position.
Solomon is chained to a wall. Stripped of all clothing. Kept in a deep, dark, menacing room. The lighting in this scene was brilliant. It almost appears that he is a cave. Or moreover, that he is in this amorphous dark space. As if you cannot ascertain space and time very well. You can tell he is there, but it seems at times that he is this dark hole which has no beginning or end. The terrible appearance of this setting conveys horridness of slavery that Solomon has now sadly entered.
He is soon punched by this man who hands him his clothes. He is sent on this ship down the Mississippi. He meets two other people who have been kidnapped. Soon after one of them dies. The other one is recognized when they arrive in the dock. At the Dock he learns that his name is Platt. Or rather his slave name. The man who forces this name on to him punches him to make sure that he retains his new name. He is sent to leave with his new master- a somewhat gentle slave master called Master Ford. After helping Master Ford with a carpentry project- Ford presents him with a violin. The problem is that overseer is racist and verbally abusive to Northtup. One day the Overseer gathers some men and tries to lynch Northrup. So for Solomon’s safety Ford sells him to Master Epps.
Master Epps is a violent man who cites the bible for proving that he is right in keeping and treating the slaves harshly. He whips slaves who don’t pick at least 200 pieces of cotton. One slave in particular- Patsey- he favors because she picks 500 pieces everyday. But Epps starts to rape her on a consistent basis. During this time it is interesting to see Solomon. He went from this man who was sooo fiery and who was desperately trying to get out of the institution of slavery. But most of the movie, he became resigned to his fate. He did as he was told, even when it usually meant being abused and being asked to work when he didn’t want to. Chwetel Ejiofor body language showed someone who seemed very normal… and his eyes didn’t have the sparkle as they did earlier in the movie. He did a good job portraying a man resigned to his fate.
Later on in the film, he meets a man named Bass ( who is played by Brad Pitt) who puts his life at risk, and agrees to send some letters to Bass employers and family. Some time after, lawyers are send to the Epps plantation and Solomon gets out of there. Seeing him united with his family was so, so, so bittersweet. On the one hand he is finally reunited with them. But the sad thing is that his children are grown and he has missed those precious, precious years with them.
The story is one of the most compelling aspects of this film. But some of the other aspects are acting. Michael Fassbender was amazing as the Evil Master Epps. He is volatile, and is always yelling/abusive. He was very consistent throughout the movie in portraying these emotions. Brad Pitt, portrayed the open minded Bass with a sense of rebel or iconoclast really well;Taran Kilam also portrays one of the kidnappers with a type of jovial ( and as we all later learn evil) charming air. Solomon carries the whole film.. and he does well with all of it. He portrays the calmness of a middle class free family man with the look in his eyes and body language so well. Later he portrays the calmness of an enslaved man equally well. He also delivers his lines with great emotion. Lupita Nyong’o also gives a hell of a performance when she explains why she wants him to kill her. It’s a sad situation but she acts so well in this scene.
In sum, if you are interested in seeing an amazing story unfold played by brilliant actors, then this is the movie for you.
Lita’s Rating: 5 star film– hands down
